


Kingdom Come (Part 1)

by SteveM



Series: Multiverse Madness [13]
Category: Batwoman (TV 2019), DCU, DCU (Comics), Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:00:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28046583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SteveM/pseuds/SteveM
Summary: With Kara and Kate unexpectedly separated Kate has to face the greatest judgement of their journey alone. Guiding the Spectre in Oliver's place they see a world on the brink of a war as events unfold with the potential to trigger armageddon...
Relationships: Kara Danvers & Kate Kane, Kara Danvers/Kate Kane
Series: Multiverse Madness [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1931842
Comments: 3
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For those that have come to this story without seeing the rest of the series (or those that want a recap) I've included the last section of the previous story which kicks off events here in Chapter 1. If you've already read that and don't want to revisit skip to chapter 2 for the new stuff! 
> 
> If you are new: Kara and Kate are married and generally doing a better job of being the World's Finest than the guys ever have. As we join them they're several missions deep into a journey with Oliver!Spectre to ensure his judgement is fair and balance the new multiverse. This is in no way a narrative device for cool crossovers / what-if's...

As the world of Stephanie Brown's Gotham dissolved around them Kate Kane watched in horror as her wife faded from sight.

“Where is she!” Kate snarled, rounding on Oliver ready to snap his neck for this latest stunt.

“Safe.” 

The voice froze her in her tracks. She’d never heard it before or, rather, never heard it alone before. She recognised it as what she’d come to think of it as the Spectre but it had always been mixed with Oliver’s. Now it rang out alone and the body in front of her had changed too. It was still Oliver but the eyes were a deep, bottomless black from edge to edge, the skin paper white. 

“Just as we walk apart from the universe we judge so Kara Zor-El now walks apart from reality itself.”

“Bring. Her. Back.” The words were a low growl as Kate felt her hands clench into fists.

“For this you must judge alone, Kate Kane.”

“What? Why? What possible reason could there be to want me to do this without the best part of myself!”

“You must understand it is not enough for judgement to be reached. It must be fair. Without bias. Delivered with total honesty. The results of a false judgement would be the same as none at all.”

“That doesn’t answer the question!”

“It will. Once you see.”

“See WHAT?” Kate yelled, throwing caution to the wind and jumping forward, her hands wrapping around Spectre’s throat. To her surprise he remained solid and she applied enough pressure to let him know she was serious. Not that he seemed overly worried by the threat but at least it was something…

“This.” Suddenly his hand was at her forehead and there was a blinding flash. She staggered back clasping her head as the blackness around her suddenly filled with rolling clouds lit on all sides by blood red flames. She saw shapes moving, huge and indistinct, titans fighting at the end of all things. And then the words came and it was as if the heavens themselves were speaking them,

“There were voices… and thunderings, and lightnings… and an earthquake.”

The clouds rolled aside like curtains to frame a lake of golden fire and in its centre was a mass of heaving, waring shapes all headless of the destruction around them.

“And there followed hail and fire mingled with blood. There fell a great star from heaven, burning as if it were a lamp… and I behold and head an angel… saying with loud voice… woe, woe, WOE to the inhabiters of the Earth.”

Kate felt like her head was going to explode and wrenched herself away from the vision. It vanished instantly and she fell to her hands and knees panting, glaring up at the Spectre who once more stood before her.

“What the *fuck* was that!” She demanded.

“Words from one of the many holy books on your world. A prophecy of things to come handed down over the centuries. A warning ignored until it was too late.”

“I meant that… that vision!”

“As did I. The warning has been seen by many over the years. Now, here, it is yours to carry as we bear witness to an act of unspeakable evil that has begun to manifest in this world. Armageddon is fast approaching and those responsible must be judged and punished. You must guide me in this. We will both witness the events that are to come.”

He raised a hand and around them the blackness gave way to a scene of madness. Kate had to force herself not to run for cover as energy beams lanced overhead, the crowded city square full of everyday normal citizens as the fight raged above. She made herself look up and took in the unfamiliar figures in costume and armour. There had to be at least a dozen and none looked even slightly like any hero or villain she’d ever seen on her world.

“What is this…?” She asked quietly and the Spectre answered flatly, a statement of fact rather than an opinion.

“This world is not filled with the heroes you know Kate Kane but their children and grandchildren. They number in the nameless thousands. Progeny of the past inspired by the legends of those who came before… though without the morals.”

A figure ten foot tall landed heavily on the sidewalk and took aim at a figure that looked more machine than man. Before he could shoot his intended target noticed him and sent a bolt of plasma energy from his palm crashing into the giant’s torso. He was blown backwards into the store behind him, glass and rubble flying in all directions and leaving several bystanders down crying and bleeding even as he picked himself from the debris to rejoin the fight.

“They no longer fight for good. They fight simply to fight, their only foes each other. They claim to have eliminated the super villains of yesterday but this is small comfort to the human race.”

A random bolt from a glowing, crackling staff went wild and smashed into the top floor of a building. The rain of debris fell towards a young girl who’d become separated from her mother. She noticed at the last moment and looked up into the face of death only for an elderly man to scoop her up in his arms and throw them both clear barely inches ahead of the falling masonry. 

“They move freely through the streets… through the world. They are challenged but unopposed.”

The giant had made it back outside and scooped up a yellow taxi cab, hurling it at a dreadlocked woman in an American flag t-shirt who leapt over it as easily as most would step up a kerb. The car crashed into a bus shelter behind her causing a fresh spray of broken glass to burst over the running crowd.

“Those they protect tell themselves that this, like all things, shall pass. That humans sill have a chance to reclaim a world rightfully theirs while it still exists. That in the face of superhuman might and superhuman odds time has not yet run out.”

Above the fight a giant advertising screen flickered to a live news feed. Kate couldn’t make out the words, the horror around her was too great… but slowly the fight stopped. Everyone stopped, looking upwards in disbelief. Kate followed their gaze and the last thing she saw as the scene started to fade was the enormous face of the news anchor sobbing uncontrollably, a graphic behind her depicting the state of Kansas.

“They are wrong.” 

The world faded to black and it took Kate a moment to come back to her senses. The disregard for life, the pain and suffering… all in the name of, what? Being ‘heroes’? Fighting not for a cause but because it gave them some fleeting glimpse of meaning, of superiority. 

“Why?” She asked quietly. “You have all this power, can travel between realities and change anything. Why don’t you do anything to help?”

“That is not my task.” Spectre said bluntly. “Once this Earth boasted other saviours who might have stemmed the tide of destruction but as you will see they are no longer the solution. They are, in many ways, the problem.”

The world shifted again and blazing sunlight washed over them both. Beneath Kate’s feet pure white sand shifted and just a few feet away an azure ocean lapped gently at the shore. She looked around at what she could only think of as paradise, marvelling at the contrast from the hell she’d just been in.

“Where are we?”

“What do you see?”

“I see an island! And… and a crystal spire… but that’s not…” Kate stared at the very familiar design reaching up from the centre of the island surrounded by long, low timber buildings that looked for all the world like barns or stables. 

“Possible…” Kate whispered as her eyes locked on the lone figure working on top of one of the buildings, an eight foot long beam of wood slung over one shoulder as they stripped the remains of a broken one from a hole in the roof. 

“There is no need to lower your voice. We cannot be seen or heard. Not even by her.”

Kate couldn’t take her eyes off the woman as she casually flipped the replacement piece into place and nailed it down securely with the flat of her hand serving as a hammer. She was older than Kate was used to, a hint of silver in her blonde hair, a few more lines in her face… but she was still as beautiful as the day Kate had married her.

“Kara…” She reached out but held herself back. She knew this woman better than she knew herself and could see the pain and weariness on her shoulders as if they were physically wrapped around her. Kate wanted nothing more than to hold her, to share the load… but she knew that was impossible. She caught a glimpse of Kara’s eyes and gasped in pain at what she saw.

“She’s so alone…” 

“Not always.”

Without warning there was the crunch of boots on sand and Kate looked round half-expecting to see an older version of herself stalking over the beach. Instead Lena Luthor, dressed in a business suit that seemed very at odds with the tropical surroundings, walked up the the Girl of Steel.

“Hello Kara.”

For a moment Kara seemed like she was just going to ignore the other woman then sighed and turned to face her fully. 

“Lena. Haven’t seen you in months. What brings you to the island?”

“The vain hope you’re not still here.”

“Why shouldn’t I be? I’m at peace here.”

“You can’t live forever in solitude.”

“I’m Supergirl. I can do anything.”

“Except, apparently, face your fear.” Lena said bitterly but there was compassion beneath the words. Not that it helped as Kara looked away angrily.

“I’m not afraid of him.”

“I didn’t mean him. I meant… “ Lena paused, reaching out and brushing a lock of Kara’s hair back behind her ear. “Kara you’ve lost so much since I first met you.”

“Earthlings die, you know that.” Kara said and now the bitterness was in her voice too.

“They were your parents Kara. And she was your wife. Don’t call them ‘Earthlings’.” Lena snapped before drawing a deep breath to calm herself. “Hear me out, I…”

“I’ve got work to do here Lena.” Kara said, turning away. “The storm did a lot of damage and the horses are scared.”

“Really?” Lena said and slapped a hand against the side of the stable. A red light blinked on and overhead the sun vanished, replaced with a glowing yellow and black dome that seemed to go on forever, at least from Kate’s viewpoint.

“You’re spooking the animals.” Kara said, reaching out and turning the simulation back on.

“At least I provoked a reaction in something.” Lena said sadly. Kara turned to walk away towards the central tower and Lena quickly reached out and grabbed her arm.

“Listen to me damn it! I’ve come with news from the outside. Something… terrible has happened it’s shaken the world to its roots.” She paused to grab a breath and for the first time the worry and fear she’d held inside reached her eyes. “Kara, he’s out of control.” 

“I tried to tell them that a decade ago.”

“And they didn’t listen. I know. Stop punishing them.”

“I’m not interested.” Kara shook off Lena’s hand and once again started walking towards the spire.

“I see. Do you live in nothing but lies these days?” Lena said, following behind. “Let me see if I can jog your memory. Hope. Help. Compassion for all. You can’t have completely forgotten about those words.”

Kara looked back and now the weariness was on her face. Kate gasped as she realised that Lena was right. Kara was afraid… though of what Kate had no idea. She’d seen this woman face down gods and monsters, what on earth could have changed her like this?

“Just…. See for yourself. Please. See what he has let happen to the world, that’s all I ask. And brace yourself.” Lena added the last as Kara tripped a door in the side of the crystal spire and stepped into blackness. The door closed behind her and she floated in mid air for a moment, her own breathing the only sound she could hear.

“On.”

The room lit up, stretching above, below and around her with virtual displays of every news feed on the planet. Each one was telling the same story. No matter the language, no matter the nation one story dominated the attention of the human race. She focused on the nearest screen, an American station showing several heroes fighting in a field of wheat, a caption underneath reading simply “The Kansas Incident.”

“… fight began in St Louis where Magog and his Justice Battalion descended upon the weathered Parasite. The battle raged to the wheat fields of Kansas where witnesses at the time characterised the Parasite as fearful, pleading for mercy but those pleas were ignored. Many are speculating that tragedy could have been averted had Magog relented.”

Kara’s eyes narrowed as the camera caught a profile shot of a man in golden armour that seemed to fuse with his flesh. His chest and stomach were partially visible though the mechanical parts wrapped around his throat and up to a helmet that sprouted large, twirling rams horns. He carried a staff in his right hand and was clearly enjoying the moment.

“His surrender refused Parasite unleashed a desperate salvo towards the nuclear-powered Captain Atom. These final words belong to our on-site camera man…”

“What’s he… Oh my GOD! The Parasite has split Captain Atom open! HE’S SPLIT HIM OPE-“

The video vanished in a moment of blinding light then dead air. It flicked again to a new picture, this one with “Live via drone” on the top left corner. Leaden skies revealed a blasted landscape, horses, birds, dogs and cows lying where they’d fallen and scattered amongst them human bodies.

“Early reports indicate immediate casualties numbering close to a million as the dying Captain Atom’s radioactive energy swept over an area measuring hundreds of kilometres. The entire state of Kansas, as well as parts of Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri, have been rendered a radioactive wasteland. Though Magog’s comrades have since prevented further spread of the nuclear blight, the total loss of America’s bread basket and the sterilisation of its agrarian culture has thrown the world economy into near-collapse in the face of global famine. Magog - who, along with the metal man Alloy were the sole survivors of the incident - could not be reached for comment.”

“Off.”

Kara hung in the darkness for long minutes, thinking about what she’d just seen before turning and heading back out to her island paradise.

“Kara, please.” Lena said from where she’d been waiting beside the door. “Your generation… our generation… takes its lead from you. We always have. You must face this. If you don’t neither will the rest of us and it just goes on!” Lena reached out a hand towards Kara’s back, knowing even now that Kara would feel the air currents move, know exactly what Lena was doing even without seeing it.

“Kara?”

“There’s nothing I can do from here. Go home Lena. Go back to National City, you’re safe there.”


	2. Chapter 2

Kara Danvers had expected to appear in another world, another reality, alongside her wife. Despite the utter absurdity of the situation it was almost becoming routine now and she was in no doubt that whatever the universe threw at them they could handle it together.

Yet the blackness around her didn’t fade, instead it seemed to grow more substantial, closing in and threatening to smother her. She reached out blindly, groping for any sign of Kate, her warmth, her light… but she was alone. Completely and utterly alone with nothing and no-one in the universe.

She spun on the spot but not even her extraordinary senses could pierce the veil that lay upon her. There was no up or down, no horizon, no warmth or chill… just black existence stretching out forever as she hung in the middle of it. She could feel her feet touching a surface but there was no visible sign it even existed.

Her head swam and she fell to her knees, hands clutching her temples as horrors long-banished swam back into her mind. Twenty five years of dreamless sleep in the phantom zone, alone with her pain, alone with her loss, alone with her failure… it came back as if she’d never left. As if the last two decades on Earth had been a dream as insubstantial as mist and lost just as easily. She could almost feel the chair of her pod around her, the crushing void of space held at bay by the thin viewport… 

She tried to get back to her feet only to fall forward, landing on her hands and knees, tears falling from her eyes. No… no it couldn’t be. It couldn’t! Kate was real… she was real… she had to be… and Alex. And Lena. And J’onn and Nia and Brainy and Cat and…. 

Faces swam in her minds’ eye, wavering as she tried to focus on them only to vanish into the blackness. No… no she wouldn’t let it… she wouldn’t forget! She felt her hands clench on the unseen surface below her and to her surprise felt it give and tear like wet turf. She pulled her right arm back and bunched her fist, driving down with all the force she had to give.

The universe shook and she felt the ground crack and shift. Another blow sent her crashing down though she had no idea how far as there was no point of reference. Just the black void trying to crush her… but she knew now she could fight back! She rained punches down and each one that hit seemed to crack reality a little more. She could feel her power racing through her and for the first time in her life Kara Zor-El gave that strength free rein. 

The universe echoed and trembled with every blow, staggering under the assault. Reality itself seemed to scream around the Girl of Steel, seemingly shocked by her ferocity. It fought back, pushing at her flesh, tearing at her mind… but she didn’t see it, didn’t hear it… all she saw was Kate’s face and she refused to let the darkness take that from her. If she could hit hard enough, move quickly enough she would break through. Sweat poured from her, muscles screaming as she pushed herself further and further, caught at the breaking point with defeat on one side and reality itself groaning on the other but she would not, could not, turn back now. Not now, not ever… somehow she would keep going until she forced the entire damn Multiverse to give her back her wife!

“Kara”.

The voice was soft and accompanied by a tentative hand touching her back, its owner keeping well clear of her punches. Startled she looked around and a dim grey light seemed to float above a gloved hand illuminating a very familiar face shrouded beneath a ragged hood.

“Oliver!” Kara virtually snarled the word and launched herself at the familiar shape. Her hands were around his throat and for a moment she wanted nothing more than to tear his head off. 

“Give her back, NOW!” 

“Not… me…..” Oliver croaked and the sight of him so clearly gasping for air broke through Kara’s anger. She eased back on the grip but didn’t let him go.

“Start talking!” She spat the words at the man she’d thought was a friend and felt him swallow nervously.

“The Spectre split you two.”

“YOU’RE the Spectre!” 

“No. He split away from me too.”

“Bullshit.” Kara growled but there was a hint of doubt in her eyes. “You’re bonded to him!”

“I thought so too yet here I am…” Oliver said, carefully holding his hands out to the side. Kara held him for a few more long seconds then reluctantly let go.

“Alright, stop talking and start making sense.” She ordered trying to ignore the emptiness around them.

“The Spectre uses hosts to aid in his judgement, you know that. Whatever awaits in this reality he has chosen to use Kate, not me.”

“What do you mean ‘use’?” Kara asked and Oliver suddenly knew with certainty that death awaited a wrong answer.

“Not like that, not like he does me. Her soul is safe.” Oliver said carefully. “He has bound his judgement to hers, she will guide his actions.”

“Why?”

“I… don’t know.” Oliver admitted. “Maybe he doesn’t trust me any more, maybe there’s something about this place that would affect both you and me.”

“But not Kate? I doubt that.”

“I wish I had an answer for you Kara.” Oliver said. “But I don’t. I’m sorry.”

“Can you take me to her?”

“No. I’m exiled here the same as you until their task is done.”

“So you’re useless.” Kara said, turning and clenching her fists. “Then I’ll find her myself.”

“Please don’t.” Oliver said the words so softly it caught Kara off-guard. 

“Why not? What’s stopping me?”

“This place… this limbo exists between realities. Normally I’d say nothing you can do would let you escape it but…” Oliver offered up a small almost sad smile. “But a battle between the building blocks of reality and Kara Zor-El is not one I’d care to wager on.”

“Not hearing a reason not to hit it until it breaks.”

“I said this place exists between realities. Between ALL realities… break it and there’s no knowing where you’ll end up. You could be lost forever in another reality… or between them.”

“But I could find her.”

“Maybe.” Oliver said quietly. “Or you could stay here and wait for her to find you.”

That got through and Kara finally stilled. She took a breath and for the first time in what felt like lifetimes tried to think past the panic. 

“She’ll find me… she always does…” Kara whispered and Oliver stepped over, pressing something cool and metal into her hand. She looked down and in the dim glow from his upturned palm saw a familiar shape nestled against her fingers. The sigil of the house of El intertwined with Kate’s bat symbol, a siren song from the future, a promise that they would be remembered… that they would make a difference… together. 

“I… alright.” Kara said with tears in her eyes. “I’ll wait. But not forever. And only if you stay with me.”

Oliver looked surprised but nodded. “I actually don’t think I’ve got much choice but… are you sure?”

She drew another deep, shuddering breath and let go of her anger. “Yes. I’m still not happy about this but I’d far rather talk to you than try to ignore… this.” She waved a hand at the darkness.

“Let me see if I can help with that.” Oliver said and raised his arm above his head, concentrating hard. “Without the Spectre there’s very little I can do but maybe… I still have… power enough… for… this!”

With a pop the world changed. The darkness still hung like a curtain but where they stood was a dark wooden floor and two large armchairs, several gothic-style lamps hanging off unseen walls. 

“Sorry, best I can do.” Oliver said in a rather embarrassed tone.

Kara paused a moment then smiled weakly. “Thanks. I appreciate it. Shall we?”

She swept into one of the chairs and Oliver matched her. To her surprise there was a tall glass of what appeared to be orange juice on a little table by the right of her chair and she sipped it gratefully. “So what do you want to talk about?” She asked, eying the technically deceased Green Arrow. “After all we could be here a while.”

“If you don’t mind… “ Oliver hesitated but there was a longing in his eyes that surprised Kara. “Tell me about Mia?”

Kara laughed and saluted with the glass. “Good choice.” She said and now at least some of her natural warmth seemed to have returned. “She’s amazing Oliver. She’s taken on your legacy in 2040, protecting the city just like you did… well, with considerably more style I’ve got to say.” She smiled and was glad to see him chuckle.

“I really hoped she’d take after her mother there.”

“Don’t worry, she’s never once thought green eyeliner was a good disguise.” Kara reassured him.

“It worked fine…” Oliver protested but without much conviction. “Also it wasn’t eyeliner…”

“Well I’m pretty sure she reserves the eyeliner for Lena…” Kara said teasingly and started a mental timer. She’d gotten to three and a half before Oliver’s eyes went wide.

“Lena? Wait… Lena Luthor? Why would….”

“They’re dating.” Kara said with a smirk.

“In 2040?”

That got Kara and she burst into giggles. “No, no of course not… though I’m not entirely convinced Mia would turn her down even with the age gap… No, Sara gave her a time courier, it’s the longest of long distance relationships but it seems to work for them.”

“Oh.” Oliver looked relieved then worried again as the next thought struck him. “Wait, isn’t Lena… uh… not on the good guy side?”

“Things have changed a lot since Crisis.” Kara told him and this time she skipped the teasing. “Lena’s helped us save the world since then. More than once actually. She’s still fiercely independent of course and I think she’ll be fighting the tendency to assume she knows what’s best for everyone until the day she dies but she knows where the line is now.”

“Well that’s reassuring.”

“Besides who *else* would your daughter end up dating?”

“Huh?”

“Beautiful, incredibly intelligent, protective and loving to a fault when someone gets inside her walls and occasionally needs a damn good spanking to keep her in line?” Kara said innocently before dissolving into giggles as Oliver spluttered for a reply at the last bit.

“That’s.. uh… that’s good. If she’s happy. Is she happy?”

“I think the word is ecstatic.” Kara told him with another smile. “And Lena really does love her to distraction, you don’t need to worry about that. Also, and I’m speaking from experience here, it doesn’t exactly hurt to be involved with a billionaire.”

“I guess not.” Oliver said, still a little overloaded from the news.

“She misses you though. Mia I mean, not Lena.” Kara clarified as Oliver was clearly struggling to keep up. “She came to see me a while ago and talked about it all. I think the hood was getting a little heavy if you know what I mean?”

“Oh.” Oliver looked ashamed. “Is she… did you….”

“She worked through it. I helped, a bit anyway. Most of it was… I think she just needed someone to vent to who’d understand. And Oliver…” Kara hesitated but decided that she may as well be completely honest. “… Kate and I kinda took her under our wing a little bit. Not much, not enough to cramp her style but we’ve tried to be there when she’s needed us. Help do a bit of the hero stuff you would have done if things had been different.”

To her shock she saw tears well up in Oliver’s eyes. “Thank you. I couldn’t dream of better guides or guardians for her than the two of you.” 

Kara blushed and shrugged. “We do the best we can but, honestly, she doesn’t need us. She’s more than capable of carving her own path through the world.”

Oliver waved off the attempt at modesty. “Maybe but it doesn’t hurt to have you two around. And that’s very much based on personal experience.” He hesitated and Kara took a guess at what he was struggling to ask.

“Do you want me to carry on? A few tales of derring do?”

He smiled gratefully and sat back. “Please!”


	3. Chapter 3

“What happened to her…” Kate asked as she watched the Kara of this reality walk away from a clearly disappointed Lena Luthor. “She’s so… cold.”

The Spectre stood silent at her side for a moment then raised a hand. The island paradise melted away to reveal an infinite blackness that surrounded them both. “It does not matter. That is not what you are here to judge.”

“Of course it matters!” Kate snapped, turning on him angrily. “Every decision we make is based on everything we are, everything we’ve learnt and experienced in our lives!”

“But that would not excuse those decisions.” The Spectre said coldly. “Do not pry beyond the bounds of your task Kate Kane.”

Kate almost yelled at him then held herself back. Time… if the other judgements were anything to go by she had time. Use it, be smart… find another way to win. 

“Alright… Lena said the ‘rest of us’ wouldn’t face this. Who?”

The Spectre seemed to consider this and nodded. “Those who a decade previous felt the crush of Supergirl’s greatest and most necessary failing. Her inability to perceive herself as the inspiration she is. The shock of seeing Supergirl suddenly abandon her never-ending battle took an immeasurable toll on her contemporaries, her peers. Some, their spirit stripped, chose the same path and retired.”

He extended an arm and drew the darkness back like a curtain, green light flashing across its edge. “Others, unable to turn their backs completely on the world they know, continue to use their special abilities to champion order, though in some most clandestine ways.”

Before them a familiar city stretched out to the horizon, glittering in the night. Between its towering spires of glass and metal they could see from their lofty vantage point a single streak of red crackling through the modern jungle.

“In the time of Supergirl’s absence, Central City has become a utopia. A protectorate relentlessly patrolled by a gale force once human. No one sees him… no one hears him. He runs a lonely race. But all who live here have felt his presence. He is everywhere at once. A guardian angel who rights even the most harmless of wrongs with lightning speed. Living between the ticks of a second, part of the speed force that gave him his power.”

“Barry…” Kate whispered and she felt tears prick her eyes. She’d always thought of the Flash as… well, as a hero, certainly but maybe not one who was in it for the long haul, who didn’t take the responsibility of his powers as seriously as he should. To choose this life, cut off from the world… she was rapidly reviewing her assumptions.

Central City raced away as fast as its protector could move and they were suddenly hanging above seemingly endless forests. Below them fires burned in a logging site, crew running for their lives as two winged shapes banked and dove above them.

“Two more of yesterday’s guardians have claimed the pacific northwest as their aerie. Some call them saviours, others environmental terrorists. They are feared and justly by those who would deprive the beasts and birds of their sanctuary. They are known as the Hawks.”

They shot upwards until the atmosphere fled and Earth hung before them like a shining blue marble in the void. And there, coming into to view as the sunlight caught it, was an enormous space station!

“Yet another takes his refuge high above the surface, his self-made emerald city twinkling in the night sky like a verdant star. There, a Green Lantern once used to guarding Oliver Queen commands a lonely throne. Ever vigilant, ever waiting for signs of threats extraterrestrial. He waits still.”

The curtain dropped, leaving them alone in the darkness once more and Spectre turned to her with what seemed for a moment to be sympathy. “The gods of yesterday no longer walk amongst the humans Kate Kane. Instead, cued by Supergirl’s surrender, they journey apart, divorced from the common men and women they once so gladly served. They have lost themselves in ancient civilisations and future times. They have left humanity to its own fate.”

Kate stared for a moment, trying to take in how much this world had changed from the one she’d known… and how short that journey could be. But there was something else, something she had to ask.

“Please…” She almost whispered the word, dreading what might await her. “I know… you haven’t shown me… well, me. From what Lena said I’m fairly sure I know why and I won’t ask about it. But please… what’s become of Gotham?”

For a long moment the Spectre stared at her as if warring with how much to tell her then, once again, nodded his agreement. He raised his arm and revealed the familiar city and a group of too-familiar thugs running from their latest robbery, their loot slung over their shoulders.

“Gotham spawned a wider legacy under a different steward.” As he spoke a shadow moved behind the group and an immense metal guardian detached itself from the building it had sheltered against. Sleek black curves made up its body, two weapon pods placed atop its broad shoulders and a stylised face with familiar white eyes and upswept ears glared down at the criminals. 

They turned to run and bright searchlights snapped on from all sides. Suddenly and quite without warning they found themselves surrounded by four of the creatures who quickly encircled them, thin metal arms striking out to force the criminals to their knees and delicately snap restraints around their wrists and ankles.

“She has expanded that legacy to other cities, protecting their people from those who would pretty upon them. Gotham is under control.”

Kate shuddered in relief but her mind whirled. New steward… her thoughts raced and she suddenly knew for certain who the Spectre meant. It had to be… she was the only one that made sense! She carefully masked her newfound knowledge, determined not to let him realise the game she was playing and how it weaved around him. Time enough for patience, at least for now.

The darkness gave way to the warm light of dawn and she found herself standing on a suspension bridge linking the heart of Metropolis to its suburbs. To her right a cable car gondola whirred past almost silently, transporting early morning commuters into the city centre. Traffic was light, mostly passenger cars mixed with buses and the occasional delivery truck. She looked around and felt her heart clench as she saw black dots on the horizon hurtling closer, the distant flash of energy weapons visible even at this range.

Words filled her mind and she couldn’t do anything but lend them her voice, speaking in a hushed tone. “And the third part of the trees was burnt up. And all green grass was burnt up. And the sun and the air were darkened!” She shuddered as the thoughts that were not her own left her and turned to face her companion.

“That’s what the vision was! The destruction of Kansas was the beginning of the end for this world!” She ducked instinctively as the fight arrived, crashing down and spilling out on to the bridge with a shocking fury. One group, led by an immense cybernetic creature with the head of a bull, took up position on one side of the bridge. The other landed atop the moving cable car and immediately returned fire. 

Kate looked around and wished there was something, anything she could do! “Those who call themselves heroes now share a silent guilt!” She span and grabbed the Spectre by his robe. “Look around us! They’re worse than before! They’re not acting out of boredom, they’re acting with abandon.”

She gasped as energy beams punched through the steel framework holding the gondola to its cable and the whole cabin shook, the fifty or more people inside scrambling towards the windows in a futile effort to escape.

“Before Kansas they at least had some grasp of responsibility, now they haven’t even that! Nothing matters… they’re following Magog’s reckless lead and they’re out of control.”

“Lena was right…” Kate whispered in horror. “The madness will go on and on…”

A terrible screech of tortured metal ripped the air and the front of the gondola tipped towards the water far below, the rear support starting to buckle but still the meta humans clinging to it continued their battle.

“Don’t you understand…” Kate asked quietly. “If any of them are to survive… humans or heroes… now more than ever… they need hope.”

And suddenly she felt a wind tear past her. No, no not a wind but a bur of motion. It tore the metal of their weapons and threw the fighters aside. She saw it drop down and change the course of the river itself, lifting a funnel of water to catch the gondola just as it fell, lift it and place it on the safe, solid surface of the bridge. 

Even before the bystanders could free themselves from the cablecar they knew. Everyone on the bridge knew… and as Kate looked around she could see them remember.

“Look!” A young woman who’d run from her car to help the injured pointed and the child she’d just helped through the remains of a window on the gondola followed her finger.

“Up in the sky!” His voice was lost in wonder for a sight he only knew from fairytales. Everyone on the bridge was staring now and Kate felt her tears flow as she, too, stood in awe.

Above her hung Kara Zor-El. Her blue suit adorned with her family crest, though the familiar red was mixed with a black background. Her cape floated on the wind as she carried the unconscious bodies of those who’d been fighting on top of the gondola in both hands, their limp forms hanging from her fingers as it they weighed no more than a single sheet of paper.

“She came back….” Kate whispered, brushing the tears from her cheeks. After all that she’d endured she heard them call out and returned when they needed her, standing in the sky…faith rewarded…

Kate’s head suddenly pulsed with pain and she cried out, falling to her knees as the visions swept over her once more. Instinctively she looked up, searching out Kara and for a moment her vision blurred. Instead of the figure of hope she saw Kara Zor-El amongst the red flames of armageddon, her arms spread wide as her skin burned, a howl of agony on her face…

As quickly as it had come the vision fled leaving Kate panting on her hands and knees unseen and unfelt by the cheering, applauding crowd around her. She looked up in horror as Kara set her foes down then took off into the sky, realisation dawning.

“No…” Kate whispered, staring after the departing Supergirl with dread. “The threat of armageddon hasn’t ended. It’s just begun…”


	4. Chapter 4

Once more the world rippled and changed, the bridge beneath her falling away until Kate found herself hanging in the air alongside her companion. Stretching to the horizon was a familiar city, though oddly not one that Kate herself had ever visited. Still she doubted there was anyone in America that wouldn’t recognise the New York skyline or the familiar statue below her, its right hand stretching up holding her torch aloft. 

But… something was wrong. She focused and found she could see the shoreline below as clear as crystal. At the waters edge a small flotilla of boats bobbed in the shallows, a mix of NYPD patrol ships and a motley assortment of pleasure craft, working boats and what looked like rafts with engines. Trapped between the water and an unbroken line of business-suit wearing workers were what seemed like thousands of refugees clearly exhausted from whatever horrors they’d endured to sail here. 

On the crown of Lady Liberty three meta humans perched, firearms trains on the crowd below. Each was wearing a gaudy mix of body armour and superhero costume painted in the colours of the American flag but the one in the centre had fashioned his armour into elaborate golden wings sprouting from his shoulders. 

“This is MY country!” He called and his voice echoed around Liberty Island. “For years the Americommando and his Minutemen have protected the U.S. from foreign threats only to have overlooked the most insidious menace of all! The poor, tired, huddled masses camping on our shores, begging citizenship!”

Below them the trapped people looked up as if mesmerised, seemingly too afraid to fight back. Kate took a closer look and noticed the blank expressions on the face of those corralling them, as if they had no will or thoughts of their own. 

“You immigrants DARE expect sanctuary? America’s not as big as it used to be! For god’s sake - Kansas is gone! We can’t house you now. We can’t even feed you now! But still you force yourselves upon us! Well, NO MORE!”

He lifted his arm and amongst the crowd Kate saw a scattering of heavily armed men - presumably the ‘Minutemen’ - raise their weapons in the air and loose rounds into the sky.

“Today the Ameicommando declares WAR on the wretched refuse! At the command of the Braintrust our dutiful American citizens will cleanse Americas shores!”

Kate’s vision blurred as it was as if she was looking in two directions at once. Inside the head of the statue two bald men in silver armour stood side by side, electricity arching between their bodies as they focused on the crowd below. At the same time the line started to move forward, crushing the trapped crowd until those at the back either collapsed to be trampled underfoot or toppled over the sea wall. 

“We will defend this nation against…” The Americommando was cut off as a sudden explosion engulfed the man on his right. Kate looked towards the city and saw three odd figures gliding towards the scene on parachutes. Only… their bodies were smooth metal, like cheap action figures and the parachutes seemed to grow out of their back. Each was a single primary colour, one red, one white, one blue. As she watched they raised their arms and long barrelled weapons flowed up from the suit, hardening in their grip as they opened fire!

“Defend YOURSELF Americommando! This land is ours to guard!” The red figure yelled, a get of fire lashing out at the head of the statue.

“America, love it!” The white one called, adding their firepower to the mix.

“Or LEAVE it!” This was from the final figure in blue who was focusing what seemed like bottled lightning at the troops below him. But the shots were wild, fire and bullets and electricity arcing over anyone that got in their way!

“The bystanders…” Kate breathed in horror. “These aren’t heroes! They’re Madmen!” She spun to face the Spectre, desperate to find some way, any way to help.

“They’re ready to battle over territory without bothering to care who’s caught between them! Someone should do something…” She trailed off as she realised that for the first time he wasn’t looking at her but above and beyond her, his unearthly gaze locked on the sky.

“Indeed.”

She spun and her heart leapt in her chest. Four figures swooped in from the heavens and she knew them all. A red blur, moving so fast gravity couldn’t claim him. A dark skinned man in green armour, a sword fashioned from his will resting easily in his right hand. A woman Kate had never met but recognised from the wastes of the Freescape, a golden tiara on her head. And all flanking Supergirl as she flew into battle.

For a moment Kate could only stare, mesmerised by the sight. After all she’d seen in this world, all of the cruelty and callousness of its heroes they seemed like angels. No… no, she corrected herself as the battle was joined below, not angels. Gods themselves, returned to answer the prayers of those with nothing else to hope for.

Emerald flashes and scarlet strobes lit the darkness of the day, forcing back the threat and protecting the innocent. Supergirl had done it, Kate thought to herself. She’d stepped back into the world like a legend from the past and drawn the titans of yesterday with her. Kara herself had headed straight for the Americommando who stood dumbfounded as his weaponry bounced off her chest, her hands blurring as she caught the bullets before they could ricochet towards the crowd below. As the magazine clicked empty she reached out and in the blink of an eye tore his armour to shreds, ripping a cybernetic arm in half to remove his last weapon and neutralise him as a threat.

Within the statue the Braintrust saw the battle unfold and could only stare in horror as the mass ranked of mind controlled slaves below started to wake up.

“NO! They’re distracted, we are loosing them!” One cried and his twin reached out for his arm.

“Concentrate! Command them to attack and kill anything that moves! These heroes won’t risk innocent lives! Tell them!”

Without warning something flew silently through the air and crashed across the backs of their bare heads. They fell to the ground unconscious and Kate had a moment to recognise the Batarang return to an upturned hand. The outfit was red and black, a yellow robin logo in the centre of its chest but even older and with the world bearing down upon her Stephanie Brown was someone who Kate would recognise in any universe.

The fight was rapidly coming to an end, Supergirl’s forces sweeping aside all resistance with ease. One final blast from an energy weapon spat up and severed the arm of the statue sending the torch hurtling down towards the people below. Instantly there was a blur of motion and Diana flew up and past it, a golden line flying from her hand to wrap around the onrushing death and effortlessly hold it in place.

A moment later Kara joined her and together they guided the metal limb back into place. A burst of blue light repaired the break as Supergirl welded it securely before dropping down to collect her troops. The crowd, now free of the Braintrust’s control, swept towards them, citizen or not, lost in their excitement.

“Really them?”

“Haven’t seen you in years!”

“Years? Hell a lifetime!”

“Where’ve you been all this time?”

Without a word the heroes took off into the sky, Green Lantern producing a floating platform for Robin as they raced across New York. What felt like an instant later Kate saw them descend to land on the steps in front of the headquarters of the United Nations. Ever since Kansas there had been a small army of press camped out in the plaza and they didn’t need an invitation to rush forward as the five figures arrived. Voices echoed as reporters yelled into mobile phones or talked to their studios on live feeds.

“You heard me, hold page one!”

“Second coming of Supergirl!”

“Might be making a statement…”

“Unclear why they’ve returned…”

On the steps above them Supergirl stepped forward and someone in the crowd yelled: “Everyone shut up will ya! When this woman talks we listen!”

“Good Afternoon.” Kara sounded calm but Kate knew her well enough to spot the nerves, the uncertainty… the fear. “Many of you may remember us. We’ve been… away for a while.” Kara looked around slowly, letting herself adjust to being in the glare of the public eye again for the first time in a decade.

“That was our mistake. In our absence a new breed of meta humans has arisen. A vast phalanx of self-styled heroes unwilling to preserve life or defend the defenceless. A legion of vigilantes who have perverted their great power. Who have forsworn their responsibilities.”

Another pause and Kate realised Kara was still doubting whether what she was about to do was the right thing. If anything set this Kara apart from the one she’d married that was certainly it. No matter what Kara had always known in her heart what needed to be done but whatever cruelty the universe had set upon her had robbed her of that skill.

“We have returned to teach them right from wrong, to teach them the meaning of truth and justice. Together we will guide this new breed with wisdom…” She paused and Kate caught a glimpse of how haunted she was by what she had to say next. “… and, if necessary, by force. Above all we will restore order. We will make things right again.”

“Will there be others?” A reporter called and Kara almost smiled. Not at the question but at confirmation that some things, at least, never changed. The world may be ending but a good reporter always went after the story.

“Our ranks will grow.” She replied gently.

“Are you prepared to shut down those who don’t honour your principles?” Another voice called.

“I don’t anticipate anyone acting without our sanction.”

“Anyone, Supergirl? Would that include Magog?” This came from a skeptical-looking woman who’d worked her way to the front of the crowd brandishing a microphone, her camera operator somehow still just behind her. “Are you truly prepared to confront Magog in light of your history?”

Kara hesitated and Kate felt her breath catch in her throat at the pain she saw in those familiar steel blue eyes.

“Magog will be dealt with if he surfaces.” Wonder Woman said, stepping in to camera shot. “Given the consequences of his actions in Kansas that seems unlikely.”

“But what about…”

“… responsible for millions…”

“Other heroes are afraid of him!”

“… really solving the problem…”

What seemed like a thousand questions flew at once and Diana raised her hand, silencing them all with a glance. “That is all.”

As the small group took off once more Kate was caught off guard by the sudden lurch in her position. She had to fight to keep her eyes open as they raced through the wall of the UN and into a small, very secure conference room. A TV screen was displaying the now-empty courtyard, the view seemingly the one caught by the camera operator of the woman who’d asked about Magog.

“Ladies and gentlemen of the delegation. Is anyone here delighted with what we’ve just heard?” The question came from a slim man in his late 50’s sitting at the head of the table, the name plate in front of him identifying him as the Secretary General of the UN.

“No?” He asked into the silence and took in the worried faces around him. “Why am I not surprised?”

“There’s fear in the room.” Kate commented, keeping her voice low even though she knew they couldn’t possibly hear her. 

“No.” The Spectre corrected. “A validation of fear. Long have these mortals suspected they are no longer the captains of humanity’s destiny. Their suspicions have just been confirmed.”

Kate glanced up at him but couldn’t find a way to argue the point, no matter how much she wanted to. “You said we’re here to judge a coming evil. It seems Supergirl… Kara… is entwined in this sin, but what exactly is it?”

“The answer to that question resides in your visions Kate Kane. What do you see? What do you hear?”

She reluctantly tried to focus on the murmur of voices and pain that seemed to lie just out of reach… but nothin she did seemed to bring it any closer.

“A… a jumble of images. A symphony of apocalyptic verse. Most of which I shouldn’t recognise as it’s not even my holy book!”

“The words are a warning laid out centuries ago. They do not need to be learned or believed, only heard.” The Spectre said coldly. 

“It still makes so little sense…” Kate looked around the room as the figures froze in place, what was clearly the beginning of an argument breaking out amongst some of the most powerful humans on the planet. “Supergirl said her league will grow. Who else will she call to her side?”

“We shall see…” The room vanished and they were once again floating above a city, this one shrouded in night as the lights sparkled below. In the last rays of the setting sun Kate saw a single figure burn through the sky, red cape streaming behind her as she arrowed for a very familiar tower block.


	5. Chapter 5

“Lena? I know you’re here, you can’t hide from me.” Kara called, stepping off the balcony and into the office suite of Lena Luthor. There was a snort from the room next door followed by a very familiar voice.

“I bow to your superior wisdom. After all you know all about hiding… don’t you Kara?”

Supergirl stepped around the corner and was surprised to see the vast array of screens wrapping around the far wall and about half way up either side of the room. At a wide desk Lena sat calmly, her hands tapping within a hologram display with her back very pointedly towards Kara.

“Twenty five, thirty two and forty seven, sweep and detain.” Lena said quietly and there was an answering chirp from the computer bank in front of her. On one of the screens a security camera feed showed three hulking metal shapes dropping down to surround a gang who’d cornered a group of young women on their way to a club.

“Is that all you have to say?” Kara asked, the hurt obvious in her voice. “I did what you asked.”

“Yes…” Lena said and there was an icy edge to her voice. “You came out of hiding and all it took was the death of millions. Congratulations.”

“That’s not fair…”

“Isn’t it?” Lena turned to look at Kara and there was an anger in her eyes that Kara didn’t recall ever having seen before. “While you were gone the world changed Kara. Oh the super villains died out soon enough, hell Genosyde blowing up Arkham, Blackgate and Belle Reve in one night took out about half of them. But when the heroes became preoccupied with their own petty squabbles the regular criminal element rose back up to fill the void like they’d never been away. Kansas might have been enough to get you off that ‘island’ of yours but the dead were mounting long before that.”

Supergirl actually took a step backwards at the accusation, not least because she couldn’t think of a rational answer. “You sound like you were on Genosyde’s side…”

“It wasn’t an action I’d condone… but tell me the thought of it doesn’t give your invulnerable skin a little tingle.” Lena gave Kara a smile that was anything but warm and the Girl of Steel shook her head.

“I don’t have that dark a side Lena.”

“Tell that to your tailor.” Lena gestured to the redesigned sigil on Kara’s chest. “Black is a new look for you.”

“Lena… the league needs you.” Kara said, hoping that the reason for her visit would distract Lena from her train of thought.

“I’m busy.” Lena turned back to the screen and muttered another command. “Twenty five and thirty two resume patrol. Forty seven deliver to nearest GCPD presence.” The screen showed the gang unconscious and restrained as one of the metal enforcers swept them up and took off into the sky.

“Too busy to help save the world?”

“The crisis at hand isn’t new Kara, where have you been?” Lena paused before shrugging. “Oh, that’s right…” 

Another screen showed a family held at gunpoint and Lena’s hands flew over the ghostly keys. “Frictions have been building to a head for years Kara. The meta human population boomed while you were gone. Once ordinary folks decided you and Ka… the Bat were too gentle and old-fashioned to face the challenges of the brave new world they wanted their ‘heroes’ stronger, more ruthless.” She chuckled mirthlessly. “Be careful what you wish for…”

On the screen the gunmen suddenly found a metal wall standing between them and their targets, tentacles shooting out to grab their weapons and limbs, immobilising them in seconds. Lena sighed and turned to fully face Kara, her fingers steepled in front of her face.

“Right now the meta humans have the keys to Earth’s kingdom. Westling control is a… delicate matter. It requires finesse and careful planning against those enemies hidden from view. It will be difficult but it can be done. Without, I might add, Supergirl and the Justice League booming into town punching now, asking questions later.”

“Stephanie doesn’t see it that way…” Kara said quietly but it was a low blow and she knew it.

“You got her to reclaim the Robin mantle Kara. Not the Bat. When you left it devastated her… she came to me to try and figure out a way to make it work, to use what she… inherited to somehow fill your shoes. But she clung to the old ways… your ways. It was never going to work. We argued, she left and I did what I could to fill the void.”

Lena turned back to the screens as if the ghosts of that conversation still lurked around her. “I have my own controls in place now, thank you. Both for the immediate threat and the wider one. They may be slower and more methodical than yours but they get results. Gotham is safe. So is National City. No meta human presence on their streets and people can live their lives as close to normal as possible in this world.”

“You make it sound like a paradise.” Kara said sadly. “From what I can see Gotham is nearly a police state. You’re fighting the Bat’s war but are you really willing to turn ordinary citizens into a superstitious, cowardly lot to do it?”

“They’ll fear me more than they’ll trust you.” Lena paused and said, almost apologetically: “I don’t trust you. After all you left. I stayed.”

There was a long silence between two old friends travelling separate paths. Kate watched in silence, barely able to breathe. She knew - or, at least, thought she knew - both of these women and the thought of them on opposite sides in this world was not one she saw ending well. 

“We’re not limited to Gotham and National City Kara.” Lena said quietly. “We’ve built a network the extends across most of the country.”

“We?” Kara asked and to her surprise Lena answered the question.

“I have allies. Human allies a little more in turn than your friends to humanity’s needs. We don’t want to rule the world, just… straighten it out. Our way. By ourselves.”

“Then you’re sure you won’t join me?” Kara asked with a final glimmer of hope but Lena shook her head.

“For a woman who can hear clouds scrape together you don’t seem to listen very well.” Lena paused and Kate saw the flash of pain on her face at what she was about to say.

“My main question now Kara is whether I’ll be the first to be ‘reformed’ by your new regime.”

Supergirl gasped quietly, the question almost a physical blow. She went to protest, one hand raised to place on Lena’s shoulder… and let it drop without touching her. Once again she couldn’t think of a good answer and that scared the hell out of her.

“Goodbye Kara.” Lena said softly and didn’t turn round as she heard the quiet tread of boots on carpet followed by the soft click of the glass door to the balcony.

“Do you think she knew we were here?” Kate jumped at the unexpected voice and she spun to see a hidden door open at the far end of the room. Three people emerged from the small room beyond, the faint glow of a tv screen lighting the space with an image of Lena’s office. All three were instantly familiar to Kate, though they were older than she was used to. On the right Ray Palmer looked nervous and on edge, his question still echoing in the silence. In the centre Sara Lance had a grim look on her face, her brilliant blue eyes lacking the humour and joy that Kate was used to seeing. And on the left a very familiar man with a thick beard clad all in green seemed to constantly be evaluating the room, looking for threats to his companions.

“Not a chance, that room is a null space, not even Kryptonian senses can penetrate it.” Lena said, dismissing Ray’s question with a wave of her hand. “Besides I thought Oliver was supposed to be the paranoid one.”

“It’s not paranoia if they’re really out to get you.” Oliver’s voice was rougher even than Kate had grown used to in his post-death career as the Spectre’s guide, this version had clearly seen more than his fair share of death and pain. “What did you make of her Lena?”

Lena shook her head sadly. “In time the league will do serious damage. If they’re allowed into our arena the world is doomed. Supergirl has no idea what she’s really up against.” 

“Should we bring her in?” Sara asked and Kate was relieved to hear a little of the softness she knew the assassin capable of in that stern voice.

“No. She’s not thinking clearly and I’m… concerned about who may have her ear. We’ll have to accelerate our timetable.”

“That’s risky.” Ray pointed out. “I take it you have a plan?”

“When does the Bat not have a plan?” Sara asked with a wry chuckle. “Or a Luthor for that matter?”

Lena smiled and nodded both agreement and her thanks at the attempt to lighten the mood. “We’ve got contacts across the world. It’s time we drew that web tight.”

Kate felt the office atop L Corp’s HQ melt away and quickly turned to the Spectre. She burned with the need to ask what had happened to her doppelgänger but held herself in check. That would be a wasted opportunity she knew, there were better uses for this one…

“Lena said she’s worried about who Kara’s listening to. Who does she mean?”

Spectre seemed not to hear her for a moment but just as she considered asking the question again he turned to face her. “Wonder Woman. She was the third founder of the League along with Supergirl and Batwoman. The alien, the human and the myth. Eternal princess of the Amazons she is both an ambassador of peace and a master of warfare. A paradox who, like Supergirl, has lost sight of her path. Of all those closest to Kara Zor-El it is she who bears watching most closely.”


	6. Chapter 6

Before Kate could reply she felt dizzy and the world moved as if in fast forward. Seconds become hours became days and she bore silent witness to Supergirl and her forces silencing skirmish after skirmish. Where possible she negotiated peace, recruiting those who would listen to her side with her presence and honesty. When impossible she enforced the peace, at every turn transforming enemies into allies.

All the while a world hungry for hope gradually surrendered its fears to the skies, embracing a return to better days of the past. Yet Kate could feel the growing unease that seemed to be wrapped around every moment and she knew why. It was a lie. It always was. The past beckoned humanity to a simpler time and simpler solutions, it always did. But those times were gone and trying to return to the same solutions was a fruitless exercise as the world moved on whether you wanted it to or not. 

With a lurch time returned to normal and Kate was surprised to find herself in a luxurious but seemingly normal office boardroom. A long metal table polished to an almost-mirror finish stretched the length of the room, almost two dozen chairs surrounding it though only a few were filled. 

On the right side, backs to the full height windows, were two men and a woman all seemingly in their fifties sat in business suits so well-tailored they practically reeked of money and power. As the door on the opposite wall swept open two more figures entered and sat down. One seemed somewhat younger, maybe in his early forties with a neatly-trimmed black goatee but as Kate looked into his eyes she saw years beyond measure staring back at the world. 

The woman, however, was heart-achingly familiar. Older but with the same features Kate had seen in her nightmares for so long. Kate swallowed hard at seeing her sister in this world that stood on the edge of destruction. 

“Ah my dear Alice thank you for coming. The Mankind Liberation Front has been eager to meet you.” The voice hit Kate like an icy dagger and she tore her eyes from the woman she knew so well to an equally familiar slim, bald man sweeping in as if he were a king entering his court. The door swung shut behind him as he settled into his seat at the head of the table.

“An invitation to a tea party Lex… how could I resist?” Alice laughed and glanced around the room. “And with such interesting guests too, though I’m sure I don’t recognise any of them.”

Lex gave a subtle sigh but played along with her game. “Of course, allow me to make the introductions. This gentleman is Ra’s al Guhl, the head of a worldwide business empire and coincidentally the head of the League of Assassins. To his right Siobhan Smythe, one of the foremost financial managers in the world since she renounced her previous life as the Silver Banshee. And beyond them Edward Nigma, a genius in the field of logistics when he can keep his own ego in check.” 

The man formally known as The Riddler visibly bristled at the backhanded compliment but held his tongue as Lex gestured to the man that had entered with Alice. “And you may have already met Vandal Savage, one of the most…. experienced men on the planet.”

“Experienced in what Mr Savage?” Alice asked turning with a coy smile.

“Everything.” His voice was rich and dark but with a cold, callous edge to it that left no doubt as to the men who lay behind it.

“Now… I need a status report.” Lex said, switching from host to leader in the blink of an eye. “Ra’s, where do we stand with medical attention and disaster relief for the Kansas victims?”

“Delayed… perhaps for weeks.” Ra’s said softly and there wasn’t a hint of sorrow at the news of more suffering for the starving and dying victims of the catastrophe. 

“Splendid.” Lex said, turning to the woman. “Siobhan, have we delivered on Lex Corp’s commitments to the new global early warning system?”

“Of course. We now have full access to all communications between the various aid agencies trying to contain the meta human crisis worldwide.”

“Excellent. And tech dispersal this quarter Mr Nigma?”

“We’ve integrated another sixty five vigilantes. Given the Arkham and Delle Reve survivors we re-outfitted and renamed we are now responsible for eight percent of the ‘super-hero’ population.”

“Acceptable but we projected ten percent.”

“That was before the Justice League re-emerged. Recruitment has become more… difficult since then.”

“Pardon me for asking…” Alice interrupted, her eyes glittering with interest. “But you’re impeding public service? Arming meta humans? Intercepting communications? Wouldn’t all that serve to make the world a worse place to be?” She laughed and turned to Lex. “Forgive me but where does the ‘Mankind Liberation’ part come in?”

Lex smiled and nodded proudly, as if a prize student had just answered a particularly difficult question. “No pain, no gain Alice. Out objective is to heighten the tension between humans and meta humans. Bring it to a head so that humans have no choice but reclaim the reins of power from those that have stolen them no matter the cost.”

He paused and if Kate didn’t know better she would have believed he felt genuine regret. “There will be war. Bloodshed. Death. But in the end mankind will once again rule the Earth.”

“And by mankind I assume you mean…” Alice gestured around the table and received another nod in return. “Wow… when is a villain not a villain?”

“Hey!” The Riddler started in his chair and was about to complain at having his line stolen when Lex shot him a glare and he settled back. 

“When we labour for a greater good of course.” Lex answered. “Which brings us to our new problem, the resurfaced Justice League. We’ve already heard how their arrival has started to change the balance of power.” He looked around the room, making sure to catch the eye of everyone seated around the table. “Their arrival, gentlemen and ladies, has turned our ten year agenda into a ten day stratagem.”

“I never dreamed they’d return. Not in a million years.” Vandal Savage said softly and there was an answering snort of agreement from Ra’s. 

“Nevertheless the gods have stepped down from Olympus.” Lex said into the silence then smiled as if privy to a secret none of them shared. “Frankly I see several ways to turn their arrival to our advantage my friends. In fact by entering into a certain… alliance… I can guarantee a chance to hasten the current crisis to its end. Which is why you were invited here my dear.” Lex said with an oily smile as he turned to Alice.

Her expression hardened and her fingers twitched as they instinctively went to twirl her butterfly knife. Sadly for her there was a strict no weapons rule this close to Lex. “I’m not you dear Lex, let’s be clear about that.” She hissed before smiling wildly once more. “But what can poor, sweet Alice do for you?”

“My apologies.” Lex said gracefully backing down, something Kate was absolutely sure was an act even if it was also tremendously convincing. “I need you to extend an invitation on our behalf.”

“Why not do so yourself?”

Lex gave a dismissive snort. “Because neither I nor anyone else would so much as make it through the door. You, on the other hand, are uniquely qualified for the role and your… past associations may just let you kick that door down.”

Alice’s smile grew wider. “Ah now this is starting to sound like fun!”

“Good. I’ll give you the details once we’re done here.” Lex said. “Thank you Alice, you may have just saved the world.”

“And in the meantime we have nothing to fear from the League?” Nigma said doubtfully. “Not even from Supergirl?”

Lex flushed red and his fist slammed involuntarily down on the table. “She will not touch me! She will NOT! She… she… “ He took a breath and just like that his public face was back in place. “She cannot. In fact I’ve got the most… marvellous Anti-Supergirl plan.” He pressed a button on the table in front of him and a moment later the door opened. “Isn’t that right boy?”

The figure he addressed walked in dressed in a waiter’s outfit with a red jacket but it seemed somehow out of place on his imposing figure. Well over six foot tall he was broad shouldered and the suit did nothing to hide his impressive physique. His black hair was slicked back into a widow’s peak and he looked to be in his mid thirties. 

“Absolutely Mr Luthor.” Kate glanced around the room and saw each and every one of the assembled criminal masterminds ease back slightly from the newcomer. Something about him was putting them on edge and even she could feel it, as incorporeal as she was. There was a sense of… of power about him, of something hidden just beneath the surface far more dangerous than mere human muscles could ever achieve. 

“Who is he…?” She asked quietly.

“The captain of the lightning and the thunder.” Spectre rumbled. “Come, we have spent too much time wallowing in sin.”


	7. Chapter 7

The underground bar was huge, its ceiling arching overhead and giving a good fifty foot of space at its tallest point from the floor. It was lit with low, dim lights and a harsh white glow from the surface of the bar which travelled the length of the room, a dizzying array of bottles on the shelves behind it seemingly offering every type of alcohol dreamy of by the human race. The dim world flared with near-constant flashes of light from its meta human customers as their powers idled or earthed themselves or, in some cases, when semi-friendly contests or outright fights broke out. In the space above those that could take to the skies flew lazy circles or perched at tables set in small alcoves carved into the walls in a desperate search for privacy. Every customer seemed to be in their twenties and gave the impression of being here only because there was nothing better to do.

At the bar a man in a white mask nudged over a bottle with his elbow. Turning he saw its owner reach out and place a hand on his shoulder… which promptly exploded into flames. He screamed and fell backwards, scrambling to try and put it out even as the fire spread. A few seconds later another patron reluctantly extinguished the blaze with a rain of ice he conjured seemingly from nowhere as the frantic rolling endangered the small table holding his own drink.

“These kids…” Kate said aghast. “They’re acting like… like monsters. Beasts. Nothing but instinct and violence.”

“They will be tamed.” Spectre said and Kate followed his gaze to see Kara step into the middle of the room. Compared to some of the towering figures around her Supergirl seemed almost petite but nevertheless every voice stilled and every head turned to watch her as she looked around. Where her gaze passed most shrank away though some tried their best to return her stare whether in challenge or worship it was often difficult to say. She focused on the bar and its endless array of bottles.

“This doesn’t help.” 

Her eyes glowed and two lines of blue fire sliced the length of the room in a heartbeat. The booze burst into flame only to be instantly doused by a blast of freeze breath. 

“Party’s over.” Kara said, glancing around at those who’d looked like they might be willing to take a swing at her. Sure enough one young man barked out a laugh from where he sat surrounded by some of the bigger patrons, a bottle in his hand. He wore a studded leather jacket and an odd blue light perched atop his shoulders.

“Ooooooh, I’m shakin’!” He taunted taking a swig from the bottle. “Ain’t it past your bedtime Grandma? What does the ’S’ stand for, senile?” He laughed again and looked around for applause. Finding none he took another drink and waved a hand at the Girl of Steel. “Whatever you’re selling I ain’t interested… at least not unless you want to take a turn on the pole and entertain us shaking that pretty…”

There was a wet slap as the enormously muscled woman next to him decked hm with one straight right hand. “Will you shut up?” She said matter-of-factly, ignoring the groaning from the ground.

“Thank you.” Kara said before turning her attention back to the crowd. “I’m here because the world’s in bad shape. We have a lot to do and precious little time to do it in. I want you to join the Justice League… willingly.”

As they absorbed her words she let herself leave the ground, floating just over the heads of all but the tallest. “Before you do you should know that we have rules. Heroes act in a certain way.” She looked around again, taking in each and every soul in the room.

“This isn’t it.”

This time she let the silence extend, let it play on their minds. “Those of you who take up with us… willingly… will be expected to be as responsible as you are powerful. You’ll be expected to behave better. Those who fail in that duty will be dealt with accordingly.”

She held the moment for another handful of heartbeats before letting herself smile. “Our job is thankless… but we do what has to be done. Right now we’re humanity’s only hope so I say to you, here, now… step into the light. Be better than you are. Be heroes.”

She left as silently as she’d arrived but this time every single eye followed her until she was lost to view. Then the room exploded into noise as a hundred conversations broke out at once.

“Holy god…”

“She was here!”

“How’d she find….”

“Are you in?”

“I feel like I was just asked to become the thirteenth disciple, what do you think!”

“I’d follow that woman to Apokolips!”

“She’s right you know, the League knows the way…”

Without warning there was a harsh, metallic thunk and once more every eye turned. First to the arrow sticking in to the top of the bar then up to the short step of stairs at the main entrance and the bearded man leaning casually against the door frame, a quiver on his back and a composite bow in his hand.

“So you heard big blue’s sales pitch.” Oliver said, his voice ringing out over the crowd. “Now for the democratic response…”


	8. Chapter 8

Time shifted, armies built and Kate saw the league grow. A dozen or more moments in time overlaid themselves in front of her and she saw the similarities but not the details. People joining the cause willingly. Some out of guilt, some out of a desire to do better, most from the force of Supergirl’s leadership. Her very presence seemed enough to win over the doubters and soon her forces wielded enough power to shake the earth. But Kate felt uneasy as a question echoed in her head and no matter how she tried she could not silence it.

Power to shake the earth… but did they have enough power to save it? And if so… from what?

Once more Kate felt like she was watching through several pairs of eyes at once, scenes overlapping before her. She saw America healing, its meta humans gradually brought in line whether peacefully or through force. Stronger in number the League began to confront the anarchy on a global scale. 

She saw battles raging across Europe, in the heartlands of Africa, the gleaming spires of the Middle East and the mountains of Asia. In Japan she saw Supergirl and Robin teaming together to battle a horde of armour-clad warriors as a women in Green Lantern armour cast constructs to protect the people around them. In the outback of Australia Wonder Woman chased down a pack of Cheetah-human hybrids single-handedly while in Argentina the Flash pulled countless civilians from the ruins of a town as the Hawks soared and stalked those who’d so callously put them in danger.

No matter where they were in the world though Kate started to recognise a pattern. The fights were becoming more brutal, more desperate… until Kara arrived. Then most of their foes fell into line at the mere sight of the woman from Krypton, whether in fear or awe Kate couldn’t tell. Even so many did not and peaceful solutions became less and less common. She could see the frustration on Kara’s face, read it in every movement of her body. Kara… or at least the Kara that Kate knew like the other half of her soul… had never been interested in social government, at managing the intricate policies of diplomacy and compromise. She wanted to help, not rule. Kate wondered how this Kara would handle the constant pressure of that new and unasked-for role and if it could bend even a woman of steel to the breaking point.

She caught a glimpse of two younger heroes in capes back in the emerald space station, their fingers running over keyboards as they managed the meta human search. On the screen before them a familiar figure popped up, his cybernetic armour covering his skull and rising into rams horns. Underneath the caption read “Magog: whereabouts unknown.” The two searchers cast a glance at each other and Kate read it in a heartbeat. Why, with all of these missions, had they not yet found him? After all with her senses Supergirl should be able to find anyone… if she was looking. 

Kate didn’t like where her thoughts were taking her but before she could dwell on them the world seemed to snap back into place and she took in a battered but mostly intact town. From the architecture and signage she was pretty sure it was somewhere in Germany and before her Kara and Diana were crouched over a huge athletic figure. He was out cold on the floor and was bare from the waist up, his arms and chest covered in odd black tattoos that contrasted with his pale skin. 

“It’s not supposed to be this way.” Supergirl whispered quietly.

“What?” Diana asked, still catching her breath.

“We shouldn’t have to fight this hard Diana.” Supergirl said and the bitterness was clear in her voice.

“You said it yourself Kara, we do what we have to do.” Diana replied with a shrug.

“Yet we’re ending up with more captives than converts. What do we do with those who refuse to see the light?” Kara asked and Diana smiled and held out a hand.

“I have a suggestion about that. Come with me…”

As they took off into the sky Kate and the Spectre seemed to follow them then shoot past. Kate just had time to gasp in shock as they arced down before crashing through the surface of the ocean. Of course she wasn’t affected by it and could still breathe but some habits were hard to break! They quickly closed on a glowing light far, far below the world above and it grew to become a shimmering city nestled on the sea bed. They swept unnoticed into a large reception room on the tallest spire in the centre of the city and saw a silver-haired man sitting on a throne, his hand wrapped around a trident. In front of them, to Kate’s lack of surprise, were Diana and Kara.

“Quite the kingdom Arthur… its design worthy of Paradise Island.” Diana said with a warm smile. “Every bit as beautiful as any place above the sea.”

“More.” The man - no, Kate corrected herself, the king - replied. “The tides of time have been kind to you princess. You have not aged a day since we last met.”

“Would that the outside world had fared so well, Arthur.” Diana said and there was anger in her words now that surprised Kate. “Times above have gown hard and harsh. The seas provide the perfect buffer between your world and ours. Bearing that in mind we have come to ask permission to create here an underwater penal colony for rebellious meta humans.”

“What?” Kara’s head snapped round, her shock evident. 

“Don’t insult me by acting disingenuous, Supergirl.” Arthur said in a deep rumble. “It’s not as if we’re unused to being burdened with the refuse of the surface world. Permission denied.”

“Arthur… if you could only see the trouble we’re in up there.” Diana said, a note of pleading in her words. “Join us! Stand at our side as you did in your youth.”

“A faint temptation I’m afraid. Though I miss the camaraderie you know I was never comfortable being your ‘Aquaman’. I have long since ceded that name and role to my protege. I understand many of our old friends have followed suit.” Arthur looked around almost wistfully. 

“My subjects need me, princess. You have hundreds of champions to defend a few land masses. I protect the other seventy percent of the world and there is but one of me. I have responsibilities you cannot even dream of. Though…. Forgive me Diana. You, surely, understand how uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.”

Diana seemed to freeze then turned away from Arthur and Kara to stare out at the ocean beyond the thick window. “I… no longer have my royal station Arthur.”

“No!” Arthur looked truly aghast and the surprise on Kara’s face was clear. 

“Yes. Recently my Amazon sisters decreed that I had failed in my mission as an ambassador. That I had not made the world a better place. They…. They stripped me of my royalty and my heritage. I am no longer welcome on Paradise Island.”

Arthur shared a glance with Kara, neither of them really knowing what to say. What could they say? Words alone wouldn’t help this.

“I am sorry Diana, truly I am.” Arthur said softly. “But that has no bearing on my decision and it still stands.”

Diana didn’t turn to face him, instead choosing to start walking for the exit at the far end of the audience chamber. “Then resume your solitude Arthur. Relish your world… for so long as it lasts.”

Kate blinked and found herself once more standing on the League’s space station, this time in an observation pod hanging in a delicate balance over the Earth’s surface far below. In front of her Diana was staring down at the planet lost in her own thoughts and Kate could see the tension in the curve of her muscles, the position of her body. 

“How long were you going to keep that a secret?” Kara asked softly, walking in and shutting the airlock door behind her.

“Which? The prison or my loss?” Diana asked coldly, not moving from her vantage point.

“Both.” Kara replied, reaching out to gently turn the Amazon to face her. “Diana… you have changed. You’ve always had a warrior’s soul but it was tempered with compassion. Now…”

“Now what, Kara?” Diana shot back, her eyes narrowing. “You’re in no position to lecture anyone on changing.”

“I know.” Kara admitted. “But that doesn’t change the fact that I don’t like what you’re asking me to do. I’m not used to forcing others to follow my lead. Now you’re expecting me to jail any who don’t? To act as judge and jury? That’s a fascistic line Diana…”

“Get ready to cross it.” Diana interrupted and now there was no mistaking the anger in her voice. “We are at war Kara! You not liking it doesn’t make it any less true. We will take prisoners, we’ll have to.”

“So you’d condemn our own kind for disagreeing with us?”

“They’re not our kind. We’re protectors of humanity. They…. They’re barely human.” Diana almost spat the words and turned back to the planet below, missing the shock that rippled across Kara’s face. She reached out towards the Amazon, unsure of what to say.

“Diana…”

“Uh, sorry for the interruption.” The nervous voice came from the suddenly-opening airlock behind them and a young archer clad head to foot in dark red walked through. “We thought you’re want to know..”

“Know what Speedy?” Kara asked as she let her hand drop.

“It’s Magog, Supergirl. We’ve found him…”


	9. Chapter 9

Once more the world rippled and Kate found herself standing in the middle of a vast desert. Except… no, not a desert, she thought with growing horror. It had once, not long ago, been green fields stretching to the hills and mountains in the horizon. Now though nothing but a blasted wasteland remained. In front of her a large timber-frame house was being carried by a very familiar figure, cybernetic armour gleaming in the harsh light, a long staff clutched in his right hand.

“Gently… gently….” He was muttering to himself as he took step after step until there was an ominous creek from the timber home. It quickly became a groan and splintering of wood as the structure started to crumple around his grip.

“No… No!” He tried to recover it but all he could do was put it down on the hard ground, the impact shattering the wood in multiple places and causing part of the roof to cave in. For a long moment he stood aghast, eyes clenched against the reality of the the world then with a wordless scream of frustration he brought the staff up and unleashed a brilliant red beam that smashed the structure into splinters.

“What are you doing back in Kansas, Magog?” 

He turned, surprised at the interruption to see Supergirl floating just a few feet away. Behind her Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern and the Hawks held a watching brief, overwhelming power to ensure this monster would not escape them.

“Well well, look who it is. National City’s very own girl scout.” Magog sneered, seemingly unafraid of the shattering power before him. “I never left you sanctimonious bitch.”

Kara’s eyes narrowed as she placed her hands on her hips, unconsciously falling back into her old habits whenever she was forced to act in a way she was unsure of. 

“I saw the footage of your last mission… and believe me it will be your last.” She said in a voice that was as cold as ice. “I never thought you’d go this far over the top.”

Magog went to reply but she cut him off. “You led six unstable powerhouses against *one* pathetic parasite. An overkill gesture that murdered. One. Million. People!”

Magog sneered and gestured with his staff. “And what are you gonna do about it? Go ahead, take a swing. Punish me. Try to lock me away if you’ve got the guts.”

“I’m not afraid of you Magog.” Kara said, eyes narrowing.

“Oh get out of town.” He paused then snapped his fingers as if only now remembering a small but vital fact. “No. Wait. You already did that. Actually you’ve got a lot of nerve blaming me. This was your fault.”

“My fault…” Kate suddenly shivered at the sound of Kara’s voice. She’d seen her wife angry beyond reason, ready to tear the world apart but this… this was something different. This was death made flesh though Magog seemed not to care. Instead he shrugged and sat down on a nearby rock.

“Think back. You’re the one who let herself get strung up by the man on the street. Vox Populi. Out with the old in with the new. Brighter, faster, meaner. Next year’s model. That’s what the hungry crowd always wants.” He chuckled under his breath, barely bothering to look at Supergirl as she stood with hands slowly clenching and relaxing as she fought for control.

“Had to’ve been eating at you for a while before I even came into town. Hell they were calling you old-fashioned when I was a teenager! Not that you’d ever change of course. Wouldn’t get in step, wouldn’t flex with the times.” He glanced up at Supergirl and he seemed genuinely curious.

“Do you even still remember or is it all beneath you now? Catco asked if that’s why the Joker got so many notches on his belt when he blew into your town. How many did he take out just that last time? Ninety two men?”

“And one woman.” The words were still doom to all that heard them but now they were laced with pain and loss. Kate’s eyes went wide but before she could turn to the Spectre for confirmation of her sudden insight Magog had rejoined the conversation.

“Hell, we both tore up the city looking for that bastard. I really thought you would get to him first. Even I almost missed him.” He smiled and it was a death’s head grin on his lined face. “Almost.”

Magog shook his head as if enjoying the memory. “I will never forget the look on your face when you saw me standing over that smoking creep. All the way to jail I thought, ‘what a coward, dragging me in for having the guts she doesn’t. Times are tough, joker’d been deserving worse than handcuffs for years. So I took it on myself to lay him down. I can’t be judged for that.’ And I was right. A unanimous not guilty verdict and most of the city saying I was the one who’d best defend their future. I was a hero.”

He shook his head in disgust, the images clearly still fresh in his mind. “But you just wouldn’t roll with it. You had to get in one last shot and piss me off. I wanted that torch passed, wanted to cement my claim as the new number one. Remember that blondie? I wanted a prize fight, a title bout between us… and I won by default… when you flew off with your cape between your legs.”

Suddenly Magog bounded back to his feet, staff held in guard position at his side. “I never got a piece of you… and now you’re right here. Right where I want you!”

Wonder Woman took a step forward, her arms spread wide to prevent the other League members from interfering. Kate found herself rooted to the spot unable to breathe. This, she realised with mounting dread, was a moment on which the entire universe spun and she genuinely had no idea which way Kara Zor-El would turn.

Supergirl stood motionless, her hands still at her sides but her eyes never leaving Magog. He glanced to his left, taking in the rough fence and lean-to shed that were all he’d managed to build in the middle of his handiwork. 

“The way you took off? I always thought you were afraid of me. A lot of people did. But that wasn’t it, was it?”

“No.”

“You were afraid… that I was what they wanted. The man of tomorrow. You were afraid of the future I represented.” 

He gestured to either side and for the first time something flickered in his eyes, a moment of pain amongst his surety. “Well look around you Supergirl. This is what I represent.”

“You must be proud.” The words were dripping with scorn and shame, though Kate distantly wondered how many would know Kara well enough to pick up the pain behind them. Not that it mattered as they had clearly struck a chord with Magog.

“Proud? PROUD?” He brought the staff up to his hip and a wall of red energy lashed out setting fire to everything before it as it engulfed Supergirl. “GOD DAMN YOU!”

The fire poured out as if the gates of hell had been opened, every witness staring aghast at the fury let loose. On and on it went until finally Magog fell to his knees, his rage spent. Before him Kara stood untouched, wisps of smoke rising from her suit while the ground around her was blackened and scorched save for two white lines were her body had protected it from the inferno. 

“Proud of being the man of tomorrow?” Magog said and suddenly all the bombast, all the cocky arrogance was gone as he looked up with tears in his eyes. His helmet fell from his head revealing two metallic tendrils snaking up his neck to enter his scalp. 

“Your fault… your fault…. The world changed but you wouldn’t. So they chose me. They chose the man who would kill over the woman who wouldn’t…. And now they’re dead.”

His head dropped, tears falling onto the irradiated soil. “A million ghosts whispering to me. Calling me. Reaching for me. Punish me. Lock me away. Kill me.” He shuddered as the staff dropped from his hand to clang softly against the hard earth. “Just make the ghosts go away.”

There was silence as everyone stared in shock at the broken Magog. Everyone save Kate who only had eyes for Supergirl. Just like Magog her head was bowed, her eyes closed and Kate suddenly wanted nothing more than to rush to her and hold her, protect her from what was going on. She was grateful beyond words to see Diana step forward and rest a comforting hand on Kara’s shoulder and for the first time in what felt like months Kate Kane drew a shaky breath only for Supergirl’s words to rob it as surely as if she’d been gut-punched.

“We are at war.”


End file.
